Airship



April 16, 1935.

MN MEDOFF AIRSHIP Fi'led Dec. 5, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M. MEDOFF April 16, 1935.

AIRSHIP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 5, 1952 Jlwoais Medatl Patented Apr. 16, 1935 FFlCE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to an airship and has for an object to provide an airship or dirigible which will be easier and more economical of construction than the present type, which can be built more quickly and will be stronger than the airship now in existence.

A further object of this invention is to provide an airship which will have a wind tunnel extending longitudinally through the center thereof and wherein there will be horizontal fins or wings projecting from the side of the ship both fore and aft of the center, the elevator being attached to the rear fin while a vertical fin at the top rear will have one rudder and a stream lined gondola at the bottom rear will have a second rudder.

A further object of this invention is to provide an airship wherein the principle construction material consists of duralumin, and wherein the first fifty feet of the nose of the ship will be covered with a sheeting of duralumin to strengthen the same.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a spider in the longitudinal panel which will receive an anchoring post for landing the airship.

A further object of this invention is to provide an airship having an improved type of ballonet, which ballonet will be substantially doughnut shaped in outline except for possibly a ninety degree sector at the bottom thereof.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide an airship which may be nine-hundred feet in length with the longitudinal tube through the center ten feet in diameter, wherein each of the wings or fins will be approximately one-hundred feet in length and twelve feet in width. The skeleton of this airship consists of eighteen equal parts, each fifty feet in length. With this construction this airship will decrease resistance fifty per cent and will increase flying speed one-hundred-and-fifty to two-hundred miles per hour.

A further object of this invention is to provide an airship of increased carrying capacity which will have a double set of passenger cabins within the skeleton between the ballonet and the skin and will have a large room longitudinally of the bottom of the ship for additional carrying capacity or freight carrying capacity.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, as will hereinafter become apparent, this invention comprises the constructions, combinations and arrangem nts of parts, hereinafter set forth, disclosed and shown on the accompanying drawings. In these drawings,

Figure l is a side elevation of the airship.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the airship show-' ing the location of the wings and the location of the side rudders,

Figure 3 is a rear View of the airship,

Figure 4 is a front view of the airship,

Figure 5 is an enlarged side view of the airship, the covering and the supporting braces being broken away to show the construction of same, the gas bag being shown between said braces,

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6 of Figure 5, showing the T shaped supporting braces for the main supporting rings, (outer covering and braces being removed),

Figure '7 is a sectional view taken on the line 'l-? of Figure 6, showing clearly the arrangement of the T-shaped braces,

Figure 8 is a sectional View on the line 8-8 of Figure 6,

Figure 9 is a perspective view of one of the supporting braces showing clearly the shape of same,

Figure 10 is a sectional view taken through the front end of the hollow tube showing web member for fastening anchor post,

of the ballonets. There is shown at 15. the airship embodying this invention. This airship I5 is provided with a pair of forward wings it and rear wings-l1, the front and rear wings being on opposite sides of the center of the airship. Elevators l8 are attached to the rear end of the rear wings I! to assist in controlling the ship. A vertical fin i9 is provided at the upper rear of the ship and terminates in a rudder as. Another rudder 2! is secured to a stream lined rear gandola 22 at the bottom of the ship, while a front stream lined gondola 23 is provided under the fore part of the ship. Three propellers 24 are located under each rear wing ll, being operative from motors located within the skin 45 of the ship HE.

A longitudinal tunnel 25 extends centrally of the ship from bow to stern and secured within this tunnel are two operative propellers 26 working from motors 2'! which are out of the tunnel. Thus, the six propellers 24, three on each side, provide propulsion means of the ordinary type in combination with the jet propulsion provided by the two propellers 25 in the tunnel 25. In the fore part of the tunnel 25 a spider 28 is provided which receives an anchoring post 29 when the ship is being landed.

In construction, the ship is divided into eighteen sections each fifty feet in length, thus making a total of nine hundred feet for the ship. The nose section 3% is covered with a sheeting of duraluminum extending to the lining 3!. Inasmuch as each section is substantially identical in construction, it will only be necessary to describe the construction of a single section. Each section consists of a set of inner rings 3?. connected by angular members 33 to a set of outer rings 34. The outer rings 34 are connected together by a series of supporting members 35. At the end of each section, the outer rings 3 1 are connected by a series of supporting braces 35 to the tunnel '25. As will be observed from Figures 5 to 9 inclusive, all the constructural members made of duraluminum are T-shaped in cross section, while 'the supporting braces 35 are composed of two T- shaped members 3? and 3S placed backto back, thus making this member substantially cross shaped in cross section. p

A separate ballonet 35 is provided for each section, being retained therein between the inner ring 32, the tunnel member 25, and the brace supports 36 at each end of the section. The ballonet 35} is substantially doughnutshaped in outline except for a lower sector approximately-ninety degrees omitted therefrom to provide space for storage, freight or passengers, or dining room in the airship These dining rooms, etc. are shown at All and separated by a catwalk 4!. Another cat walk 42 is provided longitudinally of the ship between the inner and outer ring of the skeleton and extends from one end-to the other, suitable side cat walks being provided Where necessary. Two separate passenger cabins 43 and 44 are provided on each side of the ship within the skeleton, one pair of separate cabins 43 being above the horizontal mid-point and the other pair being below the horizontal mid-point, the skeleton being covered with the skin 45 through which Windows it are provided for each of the cabins.

At the bottom of the ship beneath the dining room 48, the ballast tanks and fuel tanks 4'! are provided. In operation, the propellers 26 in the tunnel 25 serve to direct a blast of air through the tunnel giving the effect of jet propulsion to the ship, while the propellers 24 outside the skin i1, each of which is substantially one hundred feet in length the ship is kept more stable and under easier control, and is capable of a speed from a hundred and fifty to two hundred miles per hour.

The novel features and the operation of this device will be apparent from the foregoing description. While the device has been shown and the structure described in detail, it is obvious that this is not to be considered limited to the exact form disclosed, and that changes may be made therein within the scope of what is claimed, Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature "offthis invention, what is claimed is:

1. An airship, a wind tunnel extending longithe nose of said ship,

'2. airship, a wind tunnel extending longitudinally through said airship, an anchor receiving spider entirely within said tunnel adjacent the nosetr said ship, and a duraluminum sheathing onthe nose of said ship.

.3. An airship including a structural member, samsmicturn'member comprising an outer ring T-shaped in cross section, the stem of said T pointing towardthe'center of said ring, a pluralitypf braces lying along the radii of said ring, each brace member comprising two separate members, each separate member being substantially if-shaped in cross section, the stem of said latter I T extending in opposite direction whereby saidbrace member is substantially cross shaped in cross section, the ring end of said braces having its 'T head'spaced apart to embrace the T stem ofsaid ring, and a flange at the other end of eaeh'bracemanage ring section parallel to said'ii'ng. V

'4. An 'airsh'ip including a framework, said fram'evvdrk includinga plurality of spaced apart alternate internal and external ring members, girder members securing said external ring mem bers together, said external and internal ring nie'mberseach'being 'T shape'd in cross section, the T ster'nbf'said"eaternal ring member pointing inwardly from said ring member, the T-stern of said internal ring'member pointing outwardly from said internal ring member, and angular brace members securing each internal ring memher to a pair of adjacent external ring members.

MORRIS MEDOFF. 

